Happy Christmas Kites
Windsor Kites have done it!
This week in Round One of the Clacton and District Table Tennis League’s Handicap Knock-Out Cup, Carl Hubbard, Chris Simson and Rachel Simson made full use of their handicap advantage to beat Nomads Leopards 5-1 – and record their first-ever win.
The opening doubles was the only match that went the distance, the two Simsons (+1) beating Norman Jacobs and Hazel Blanche (-5) 16-14, 3-11, 11-2, 9-11, 11-6.
So, after thirty-eight matches in League and Cup, the Kites have broken their duck – and they head into the New Year in good cheer, ready to face Division Two side Brotherhood F in Round Two.
Elsewhere, the Windsor Penguins v Brotherhood K tie went all the way before the Penguins emerged narrow 5-4 winners, the opening doubles ultimately proving pivotal, Ray and Sue Chillingworth (+1) beating Elliott Attrill and Rob Bright (-3) 11-8 in the fifth.
The all-Brotherhood clash between the “H” and “J” sides also went the distance, the “J” team eventually edging it 5-4, Lucy Burton (+1) crucially defeating David Wilkin (-5) 13-11, 8-11, 11-1, 4-11, 11-8.
Alan Dockerill and John Houghton stayed unbeaten as Nomads Pumas beat Windsor Swallows 5-2, although Windsor’s Janet Beech (+1) played well to defeat Lionel Goddard (-6) 12-14, 7-11, 11-5, 11-6, 12-10.
Finally, Nomads Cougars had a straightforward 5-1 victory over Nomads Bobcats, none of the matches extended to a fifth set.
The revised Round Two draw is : Brotherhood E v Windsor Eagles; Brotherhood F v Windsor Kites; Brotherhood A v Nomads Panthers; Brotherhood B v Walton B; Windsor Falcons v Nomads Lynx; Brotherhood L v Nomads Cougars; Windsor Roosters v Windsor Kestrels; Brotherhood J v Windsor Magpies; Walton A v Nomads Lions; Nomads Tigers v Walton D; Windsor Owls v Windsor Harriers; Windsor Condors v Brotherhood D; Windsor Ravens v Windsor Hawks; Lawford v Walton C; Nomads Pumas v Windsor Penguins; Nomads Jaguars v Brotherhood C.
In a Round Two match played early, the leaders of Division Two defeated the leaders of Division Three, Walton D beating Nomads Tigers 5-2, the Tigers taking both the doubles but losing all five singles.
* In a top-of-the-table clash in Division One of the League,
Brotherhood A beat Walton A 7-3, two each here for Brotherhood’s Greg Green, Alan Burgess and Anthony Greenwood, and for Walton’s Kevin Gowlett.
It means only eight points separate five teams – Windsor Condors, Walton A, Windsor Roosters, Brotherhood A and Nomads Panthers – at the top of the table, the closest title race for many seasons.
In Division Three, hat-tricks from Kelvin Olano and Tom Burton, and an 11-9 in the fifth success for Lucy Burton over Dave Hutchinson, saw Brotherhood J to an 8-2 win against Nomads Bobcats.
* In Division Two of the Super-Veterans Section of the Essex Inter-League, both Clacton teams lost to their Southend counterparts.
Clacton A went down 5-4 to Southend B, John Weller and John Hobson each taking a singles, with Hobson sharing two doubles wins, but the decisive match was John Wrigley’s 12-10 in the fifth defeat by Southend’s David Barnes.
Terry May and Brian Parish each picked up a point as Clacton B lost 7-2 to Southend C, but the match was far closer than the scoreline suggests with four of the Southend wins going to a deciding set.
RESULTS
HANDICAP KNOCK-OUT CUP
Round 1
Nomads Pumas 5 Windsor Swallows 2
Brotherhood H 4 Brotherhood J 5
Nomads Leopards 1 Windsor Kites 5
Nomads Bobcats 1 Nomads Cougars 5
Brotherhood K 4 Windsor Penguins 5;
Brotherhood L walk-over (v Brotherhood G).
Round 2
Nomads Tigers 2 Walton D 5.
LEAGUE
Division 1
Brotherhood A 7 Walton A 3.
Division 3
Brotherhood J 8 Nomads Bobcats 2.
ESSEX INTER-LEAGUE
Super-Veterans : Division 2
Clacton A (Weller, Hobson, Wrigley) 4 Southend B 5;
Clacton B (Beaumont, May, Parish) 2 Southend C 7.
Tony Oswick